Hoda and Jenna: Today with Hoda & Jenna (also known as Today’s fourth hour or simply Hoda & Jenna) is an American daytime talk show presented by Hoda Kotb and Jenna Bush Hager that airs on NBC.
The programme, which is a “show-within-a-show” with its own hosts, opening sequence, theme music, and website, airs as the fourth hour of NBC’s Today at 10:00 a.m. in all time zones (subject to local delay) as a “show-within-a-show” with its own hosts, opening sequence, theme music, and website.
Hoda and Jenna: Their history and current life
This segment of the show airs live in the Eastern Time Zone and on tape delay everywhere Monday through Thursday; the Friday edition is pre-recorded.
The show began as an extension of Today, which was presented by Ann Curry, Natalie Morales, and Hoda Kotb at the time. After Kathie Lee Gifford joined Kotb on April 7, 2008, the show grew as its own independent entity as Today with Kathie Lee and Hoda for 11 years.
Gifford and NBC confirmed her departure from Today on December 11, 2018. On February 26, 2019, Jenna Bush Hager was announced as the next co-host, following Gifford.
Hoda and Jenna History
2007–08: The fourth hour begins
NBC announced that Today would be expanded to four hours starting in the fall of 2007 during its press tour sessions on January 17, 2007.
Rather than taking one hour of programming time away from its stations for syndicated or local programming, NBC decided to terminate the low-rated daytime soap series Passions to create room on its schedule for the expansion.
Ann Curry, Natalie Morales, and Hoda Kotb hosted the fourth hour when it premiered on September 10, 2007.
Kathie Lee and Hoda Kotb (2008–19)
On April 7, 2008, Kathie Lee Gifford took over as co-host from Curry and Morales, and over time, the show became more of its own distinct entity, referred to as Kathie Lee & Hoda, with its own website and social media presence.
The fourth hour is structured almost as a standalone talk show, with an opening “host chat” segment reminiscent to that popularised by Gifford and Regis Philbin on Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee, as well as interviews and features focusing on entertainment, fads, and politics.
In most markets in the Central and Pacific Time Zones, Kathie Lee & Hoda competed with ABC’s The View and CBS’s The Price Is Right, but in the Eastern Time Zone, most stations air it live one hour before those programmes, as ABC and CBS’ late morning daytime programmes are not tape delayed for each time zone.
Kathie Lee & Hoda are not shown live on all NBC affiliates. In some markets, the programme is tape delayed and may be broadcast later in the morning or early afternoon at the discretion of the station to make room for local news or syndicated programming.
On September 26, 2011, NBC began rebroadcasting Kathie Lee & Hoda as part of its overnight lineup (formerly known as NBC All Night) on weekday early mornings at 2:05 a.m. Eastern and Pacific Time (varied according to local scheduling; however, the rebroadcast is pre-empted by NBC affiliates in a few markets, such as those owned by Graham Media Group), as a replacement for Poker After Dark, which was
On December 11, 2018, NBC and Gifford announced that she will step down as anchor of the fourth hour in April 2019, marking her 11th year with the show.
In the fourth hour, Kotb would continue to anchor.
Hoda and Jenna have been dating since 2019
After Gifford’s resignation on April 5, 2019, NBC announced on February 26, 2019, that Jenna Bush Hager would take over the fourth hour of Today.
On April 8, 2019, the rebranded Today with Hoda & Jenna debuted. Former senior producer Joanne LaMarca Mathisen, who resigned in January 2017, has returned to NBC as the new executive producer. Tammy Filler, who had been the executive producer for Kathie Lee and Hoda since July 2017, has joined E! News as executive vice president and editor-in-chief.
In the fall of 2019, NBC stations and affiliates that also carry the syndicated NBCUniversal Television Distribution show The Kelly Clarkson Show began airing a repeat of that show instead of Hoda & Jenna to give the former an additional cumulative ratings boost; those stations that do not air Kelly or prefer to air it only once per day continue to air Hoda & Jenna.
Due to both women being on parental leave, it was revealed on the 2019 Halloween programme that Kotb and Hager had only hosted five shows together since the revised hour debuted in April 2019.
Hager announced her return on the same day, November 11, 2019
On January 16, 2020, Kotb and Hager announced that, beginning February 6, 2020, the Thursday and Friday episodes of Hoda & Jenna would be taped in front of a live studio audience and dubbed Hoda & Jenna & Friends.
Instead of Studio 1A, the revised editions were broadcast from Studio 6A, which was previously utilised by Megyn Kelly Today. Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, the show was forced to return to Studio 1A, with another NBC show, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, moving into Studio 6A.
Talia Parkinson-Jones, the former co-executive producer of The Wendy Williams Show and Tamron Hall, was named the new executive producer of the show on October 6, 2021, replacing LaMarca Mathisen.
Elements that recur
The opening “host chat” part of the show is a highlight, when the newest entertainment news and stories are discussed. During the Kathie Lee and Hoda period of the show, this section was named Today’s Talk, but that term hasn’t been used since Hager arrived as a co-host.
On-air, the show is known for its frequent use and display of wine. In an interview with Variety, Gifford remarked of the wine, “People simply assume we’re drinking wine all the time, but the reality is most days it just sits there.”
Gifford has also stated that they have a drink or two, but the wine is primarily utilised as a comedic prop.
Segments
Many regular segments have appeared on the show over the years. They are as follows:
Current
On Thursdays, Ambush Makeover gives a makeover to a few lucky fans who show up on Rockefeller Plaza.
Hoda brings in the artist of her favourite song of the time to play live in iHoda Live, which succeeds the original iHoda. The first performer was Joshua Radin.
In the tradition of Oprah’s Book Club, Jenna hosts a monthly on-air book discussion club called Read With Jenna. The section began in March 2019, when Hager chose Tara Conklin’s novel The Last Romantics. Because of the Today Show’s large audience, the majority of the books she recommends become instant best-sellers.
Former
Friday Funny was a feature on Today’s Talk where Kathie Lee shared jokes and puns.
Give It Away was a segment in which five viewers were given gifts.
The segment Favorite Things featured Kathie Lee and Hoda sharing their favourite products.
iHoda was a feature on Today’s Talk when Hoda would discuss her current favourite song.
Who Knew? is a live quiz show that is partially taped across the street at NBC Studios’ The Shop.
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